We referred to a Bernama report that misrepresented Bar Council president Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan. They reported that the Bar Council’s stand was that Sultan Azlan Shah’s decision for Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin and the state executive council to step down should not be questioned.

The Bar Council’s actual stand is that it will be difficult to challenge the Sultan’s prerogative in determining who has the majority support of the state assembly. The menteri besar’s appointment is dependent on his or her majority support in the assembly.

We also stated that this is the first time the Bar Council is calling for fresh elections in Perak. This is incorrect. The Bar Council is reiterating its stand for fresh elections.

We mistakenly reported that the child of a stateless mother cannot get a birth certificate, without which he or she cannot enrol in school. Children with no documents are entitled to birth registration and certificate but this does not entitle them to Malaysian citizenship nor access to free health and education. Additionally, most parents of these children usually don’t even bother or know how to register their children at birth.

We mistakenly reported that the court case to declare the Changkat Jering and Behrang assemblypersons as resigned from their positions in the state assembly was scheduled for first day hearing at the Ipoh Sessions Court on the morning of 9 Feb 2009.

It was the first day hearing of the corruption charges against Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi (Behrang) and Mohd Osman Mohd Jailu (Changkat Jering). The factual error is regretted.